Tag: physical sciences
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Rollerball Pen Enables Hand-Drawn Electrical Circuits
Materials scientists and engineers at University of Illinois in Champaign have developed a rollerball pen (pictured left) capable of writing electrical circuits and interconnects on paper, wood, and other surfaces. The team of faculty, postdoc, and students published their findings in the online issue of the journal Advanced Materials (paid subscription required). While it looks…
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U.S., Australian Universities Collaborate on Biofuels R&D
Clemson University in South Carolina and University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia have agreed to exchange research and create a joint biofuels development program. The institutions will raise public and private funds to advance biofuel research, and further development and commercialization of ethanol and biodiesel production. Cellulosic biofuel technology uses the plant’s cell walls to…
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Nanoscale Nuclear Testing Capability Developed
Scientists at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, University of California at Berkeley, and Los Alamos National Lab have devised a testing technique for irradiated materials at nanoscale that offers insights into the full-scale properties of those materials. The team’s findings appear in the current online issue of the journal Nature Materials (paid subscription required). The technique…
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White House Unveils Manufacturing Partnership, Investments
At Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh today, President Obama launched an initiative that aims to invest in emerging technologies leading to high quality manufacturing jobs. The Advanced Manufacturing Partnership (AMP) is expected to combine resources from industry, universities, and the federal government to encourage progress in information technology, biotechnology, and nanotechnology, and other advancements…
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Sensitive Underwater Microphone Works at All Depths
Researchers at Stanford University have developed a microphone for use at any depth and water pressure in the ocean, and is sensitive to a wide range of sounds. The research on the microphone, funded by Litton Systems, a subsidiary of Northrop-Grumman Corp., is published in the Journal of the Acoustic Society of America (paid subscription…
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Process Devised to Verify Safety of Assisted Driving Systems
Computer scientists at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh have developed ways to verify the safety of driver assistance technologies, such as adaptive cruise control and automatic braking. Faculty member Andre Platzer and doctoral students Sarah Loos and Ligia Nistor will present their findings at the International Symposium on Formal Methods, on 22 June at the…
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Researchers Find New Properties in an Old Material
Researchers at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg have devised a way to measure and manipulate the internal structure of Nafion, a common polymer, to expand the material’s applications. The research chemists’ results are published in the 19 June issue of the journal Nature Materials (paid subscription required). Nafion was developed in the 1960s by DuPont, and…
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Engineers Calculate, Write Software for Solar Fluctuations
A faculty-student engineering team at University of California, San Diego has developed a computer model to calculate fluctuations in the solar power grid caused by changes in cloud cover. The team of professor Jan Kleissl and Ph.D. student Matthew Lave have also written software to help power grid managers predict fluctuations in the solar grid…
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Simple, Safer Process Developed to Synthesize Graphene
Scientists at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb say they have discovered a simple method for producing high yields of graphene, a carbon nanostructure with advanced capabilities, including as a potential platform for the next generation of integrated circuits. The NIU team’s findings appear online in the Journal of Materials Chemistry (free subscription required). Graphene is…
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Computer Model Tests for Car Noise During Design Stage
A researcher at Luleå University of Technology in Sweden has built a computer simulation model to help car designers locate potential sources of unwanted car noise. Matti Rantatalo (pictured right) developed the model as part of his doctoral studies at Luleå, in the university’s Center for Automotive System Technologies and Testing (CASTT), and with help…